Author Topic: Broken ankle (Read 36993 times)

barryl · « **Reply #75 on:** August 25, 2016, 06:33:54 PM »

.. and best wishes from me too.

ideasguy · « **Reply #76 on:** August 25, 2016, 09:43:58 PM »

Thank you Eric and Barry.

Good news.
The consultant was very pleased with the progress. He showed us the X-Rays and he reckons there is over 90% knitting, but with a word of caution - still a lot of healing to be done before it will have reached full strength.
The metal work (2 screws to hold the bones in place during fusion) have not shifted.
Boot can now be discarded but he said to wear it if she felt she needed to at any time (say after overdoing the walking around and it swells). Quite a lot of the decisions on how and how much to walk was left to her.
Initially, use one crutch but he said it would be OK to bear full weight if feeling confident and ankle felt OK.
It does! It feels great. However, it has puffed up a bit with the walking today. Ice pack applied as I write.

The big question was "Can I drive".
He said yes

Imagine the relief to hear that!
Need to feel really comfortable and confident with the ankle first of course.
Very pleased as you can imagine. During that recovery time we gave a lot of thought to people with disabilities who don't have something like today to look forward to.

Palustris · « **Reply #77 on:** August 26, 2016, 10:17:13 AM »

Good oh!

barryl · « **Reply #78 on:** August 26, 2016, 10:35:44 AM »

Sounds good

ideasguy · « **Reply #79 on:** August 26, 2016, 11:57:49 AM »

Indeed!
Puffing on top of ankle didn't fully subside overnight. Should rest, but she has opted to put the boot on for a while instead.
She does not like sitting about!

Getting around the house quite fast now and doing some things to take the pressure off the "carer and chef"

ideasguy · « **Reply #80 on:** August 29, 2016, 09:02:10 PM »

Very good news.
Mary tried driving on Sat.
I sat beside her in what was supposed to be up and down the tarmac at the back of the house.
That was OK so she turned the car and drove down the driveway. Unannounced she did an emergency stop. It sure caught me off guard and seemed effective

Drove half a mile, turned and drove home.
It went so well I allowed her to drive us to the supermarket and home again (only a 1.5 mile round trip).
To my amazement, she said there was no noticeable difference from before the op.
The ankle was so bad before it looks like she had very little ankle movement to begin with.

Boot off - walking around now with 2 crutches outside, but can get around the kitchen on only one crutch.
Looking very good.

barryl · « **Reply #81 on:** August 30, 2016, 07:24:36 AM »

Sounds like good progress. WHen I had a hip replacement and (separately!) after my wife had a knee op we used a supermarket car park on Sunday after it closed as a test drive arena. (the fit person drove there and the reccovering person then tried driving including emergency stops). The point being that it is a safer environment than public roads.

Glad Mary is making such good progress.... how is the nurse and the chef?

Palustris · « **Reply #82 on:** August 30, 2016, 02:13:33 PM »

Great news!

ideasguy · « **Reply #83 on:** August 30, 2016, 03:34:18 PM »

Even better news is that the weather has changed - warm and that very rare commodity in Ireland for all of the 3 months that Mary has been incapacitated- Sunshine

Both the head nurse and head chef "are" out in the garden

It was SO out of control I had great difficulty choosing where to start.

That must have been a difficult time for you Barry, both recovering from major surgery.
I should have said the roads were very quiet here on Saturday as there was a major band parade in Lisburn. We took the "scenic" route and we didn't have to drive through town traffic to get to the supermarket.

barryl · « **Reply #84 on:** August 30, 2016, 09:42:26 PM »

I should clarify that my hip and my wife's knee were well separated in time. I had fully recoveed well before her knee was tackled.

ideasguy · « **Reply #85 on:** August 31, 2016, 10:16:02 AM »

It would have been very difficult otherwise Barry.
How successful were your operations?

barryl · « **Reply #86 on:** August 31, 2016, 04:46:57 PM »

My hip is amazing. I do not ever think about it unless I am asked a question.

My wife's knee is rather less successful though she can do a lot more now that she could before the op. She probably needs a repalcement but that is a big thing to contemplate.

ideasguy · « **Reply #87 on:** September 07, 2016, 10:25:33 PM »

Your hip operation was obviously a resounding success Barry.
Its good to know that and anyone reading this who are facing surgery may feel more at ease about the prospects.

I know of other friends with knee problems. Like your wife's experience, its clear that it is a more difficult issue.

Mary took her first solo drive yesterday - a short drive to the car wash!
She didn't have to get out as its an attended fairly manual service - much better that the drive through standard car wash.
She is suffering yet - quite badly some days. She resorts to wearing the boot for additional support sometimes, and the ice pack occasionally.
They did say it was a long recovery period - anything up to 18 months for full recovery.
Mind you she is doing a lot around the house! I'm now able to spend more time in the garden (doing catchup

).

barryl · « **Reply #88 on:** September 08, 2016, 11:45:46 AM »

You know what they say! Patients need patience.....

Glad you can get back in the garden. Given the weather this year I am surprised you are not totally overgrown with weeds.

ideasguy · « **Reply #89 on:** September 08, 2016, 08:26:09 PM »

The grass in flowerbeds have taken over - its a massive problem Barry.
Its going to be hard work to regain control. Need a spell of decent weather to do that.
We've had very little sunshine here (N Ireland) this summer with at least some rain most days. Not very pleasant to work in.
I feel sorry for the folk in parts of Scotland. They have had even more rain than us.

ideasguy · « **Reply #90 on:** June 07, 2017, 10:50:47 PM »

Update!

Its one year from the ankle fusion operation, and I am very pleased to report that it is a resounding success.
A little swelling from time to time, some slight burning sensations from time to time - all bearable, but the good news is she has little or no pain any more and is fairly mobile. Sharp inclines are a little challenging due to the fusion.
Driving is easy.

We were told it would take 12 to 18 months to fully heal. Its certainly so far, so much better!

If anyone else is faced with the same decision (to go for ankle fusion in the case of bad arthritis) we certainly recommend it.

barryl · « **Reply #91 on:** June 08, 2017, 01:39:25 PM »

Very welcome good news.

It's a long time since this saga started (december 2010) and fantastic that the end of the tunnel is in sight. Hope Mary continues to heal well.

Palustris · « **Reply #92 on:** June 09, 2017, 05:50:16 PM »

Excellent stuff.

ideasguy · « **Reply #93 on:** July 21, 2019, 05:51:41 PM »

Its just over 2 years since I posted on this.
Barry and I were communicating over the weekend and he asked how Mary was (thank you Barry) - so I thought I'd better post an update here.

Swelling has been a problem for a year or so now. That causes pain and discomfort.
Resting helps, but Mary is not one for sitting around. She is on her feet a lot each day with the usual chores, but rests with her foot up when she gets a chance (or finds the pain is too much) and when she watches TV in the evening.
The swelling is much worse in hot weather (not that we get a lot of that in N Ireland!!).
We were in Portugal for 9 days at end of June and she had to "sunbathe" with her leg elevated and keep her leg out of direct sun.
There is some good news! She can drive short distances to the local shopping centres and do short walks to enjoy the delights of shopping

The pain she suffers is nothing like it was before the fusion, so we still have no regrets about going for that op.

barryl · « **Reply #94 on:** July 21, 2019, 06:17:21 PM »

Good news but stay away from the heat!

ideasguy · « **Reply #95 on:** July 21, 2019, 07:23:40 PM »

She loves the sun normally Barry and so do I

ideasguy · « **Reply #96 on:** June 24, 2021, 02:40:11 PM »

Eric (Palustris) and I exchanged emails and he asked how Marys ankle had healed.

Ankle fusion healed well, but unfortunately the ankle does swell badly each day with some burning sensation.
Probably arthritis in other joints in the ankle and foot.
She is fine up until lunchtime, but this girl does a lot of work each day - cooking, laundry, sometimes baking - etc, etc.
Has to take a rest frequently and elevates the ankle in the evenings when she watches TV.

Ive asked the good lady and she tells me it is much better than the pain and agony she had before the surgery where the ankle was fused. She can walk short distances. It seems to be relieved a little when she gets into her favourite shops

Fusion is still recommended for anyone facing the same dilemna.